Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[jailbait]{n.}, {slang} A girl below the legal age of consent for sex; one who tempts you to intimacy which is punishable by imprisonment. •/Stay away from Arabella, she is a jailbait./
[jailbird]{n.}, {informal} A convict; someone who is in jail or has been recently released from prison. •/Because Harry was a jailbird, it was understandably hard for him to find a job after being imprisoned./
[jake flake]{n.}, {slang} A boring person whose company is usually not wanted. •/Please don’t invite Turner, he is a jake flake./
[jar on]{v. phr.} To irritate. •/The constant construction noise was beginning to jar on the nerves of the members of the meeting./
[jaw] See: GLASS JAW.
[jawbreaker]{n.} 1. A large piece of hard candy or bubblegum. •/Billy asked his mother for a quarter to buy some jawbreakers and a chocolate bar./ 2. [informal] A word or name that is hard to pronounce. •/His name, Nissequogue, is a real jawbreaker./
[jaw drop] or [jaw drop a mile]{informal} Mouth fall wide open with surprise. — Used with a possessive. •/Tom’s jaw dropped a mile when he won the prize./
[jaws tight]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Angry; uptight; tense. •/Why are you getting your jaws so tight?/
[jazz up]{v.}, {slang} To brighten up; add more noise, movement, or color; make more lively or exciting. •/The party was very dull until Pete jazzed it up with his drums./
[Jehu] See: DRIVE LIKE JEHU.
[jerk] or [jerker] See: SODA JERK or SODA JERKER.
[jerry-built]{adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheap materials; easily broken. •/That jerry-built cabin will blow apart in a strong wind./ 2. Done without careful preparation or thought; planned too quickly. •/When the regular television program didn’t come on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute./
[Jesus boots] or [Jesus shoes]{n.}, {slang} Men’s sandals, particularly as worn by hippies and very casually dressed people. •/I dig your Jesus boots, man, they look cool./
[jig’s up] See: GAME’S UP.
[jim-dandy]{n.}, {slang} Something wonderful; something very good. •/Tommy’s new boat is really a jim-dandy! I wish I had one like it./
[jink] See: HIGH JINKS.
[job] See: DO A JOB ON, FALL DOWN ON THE JOB, LIE DOWN ON THE JOB, ON THE JOB.
[Joe Doakes]{n.} A name used informally for the average man. •/Let us say that Joe Doakes goes to the movies three times a year./ Compare: MAN IN THE STREET, SO-AND-SO.
[John Doe]{n.} A name used for an unknown person, especially in police and law business. •/The alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store./
[John Hancock] or [John Henry]{n.}, {informal} Your signature; your name in writing. •/The man said, "Put your John Hancock on this paper."/ •/Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver’s license./
[Johnny-come-lately]{n.} Someone new in a place or group; newcomer; also: a new person who takes an active part in group affairs before tlie group has accepted him; upstart. •/Everybody was amazed when a Johnny-come-lately beat the old favorite in the race./ •/When it looked as though Mr. Brown had a good chance of winning, many Johnny-come-latelies began to support him./
[Johnny-on-the-spot]{adj. phr.} At the right place when needed; present and ready to help; very prompt; on time. •/A good waterboy is always Johnny-on-the-spot./ •/The firemen were Johnny-on-the-spot and put out the fire in the house soon after it started./ Compare: ON THE JOB.
[John Q. Public]{n.} A name used informally for the average citizen. •/It is John Q. Public’s duty to vote at each election./ Compare: JOE DOAKES.
[join forces] or [join hands]{v. phr.} To get together for the same aim; group together for a purpose; unite. •/The students and the graduates joined forces to raise money when the gym burned down./ •/The American soldiers joined hands with the British in the war against Germany./ Compare: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.
[join hands] See: JOIN FORCES.
[joint] See: CLIP JOINT, PUT ONE’S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.
[joke] See: CRACK A JOKE.
[joking apart] See: JOKING ASIDE.
[joking aside] or [joking apart]{v. phr.}, {informal} No fooling; without exaggerating: seriously. •/Joking aside, although the conditions were not very comfortable, we had a wonderful time./ •/Joking apart, there must have been over a hundred people in the room./
[Jones] See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.